Waterford, Connecticut

Town · population 19,571 (2020 Census)

Median home: $355,900
Household income: $104,820
Jan low / Jul high: 23° / 80°
Snow a year: 25 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 46.0

Waterford is a town of 19,571 people, Connecticut. The median home is worth $355,900, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). It ranks easier by car than 92% of Connecticut towns, more seaside character than 90% of Connecticut towns.

How Waterford ranks

Percentile among Connecticut towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Connecticut towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Waterford is worth $355,900, below the typical Connecticut town ($376,000). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $104,820, which is more affordable than 60% of Connecticut towns. Median rent is $1,651 a month. 79.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Connecticut towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Waterford	Typical Connecticut town
Median home value	$355,900	$376,000
Median rent	$1,651	$1,462
Median household income	$104,820	$109,167
Home value ÷ income	3.4×	3.6×
Homeownership	79.7%	80.3%
Median year built	1968	1969
Seasonal / vacation homes	4.3%	—

Who lives in Waterford

People	Waterford	Typical Connecticut town
Median age	46.0	45.0
Age 65 and over	22.6%	20.6%
Under 18	19.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	40.6%	45.8%
Below the poverty line	4.6%	5.7%
Veterans	10.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	6.5%	—
Work from home	10.2%	16.8%
Average commute	21.6 min	27.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.8%	93.8%

Weather in Waterford

July highs average 79.8°F and January lows 23.3°F. About 39.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 24.5 inches of snow (typical Connecticut town: 39.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 107 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Groton New London Ap station (5.3 mi away); snow from Groton (5.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterford since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Connecticut town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 16, 2002 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 16, 2002.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 14 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 29, 1969.

Public schools in Waterford

5 public schools with 2,350 students, about 12.0 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Waterford High School	9-12	713	11.0
Clark Lane Middle School	6-8	548	12.5
The Friendship School	PK-K	459	15.8
Great Neck Elementary School	PK-5	334	11.1
Oswegatchie Elementary School	PK-5	296	10.6

Towns near Waterford

Waterford, CT
1.0 mi · 3,074 people · home $282,900
New London, CT
2.9 mi · 27,367 people · home $253,300
Niantic, CT
3.7 mi · 3,194 people · home $396,000
East Lyme, CT
4.3 mi · 18,693 people · home $412,600
Groton, CT
4.5 mi · 9,387 people · home $306,600
Long Hill, CT
5.0 mi · 3,948 people · home $175,600
Conning Towers-Nautilus Park, CT
5.0 mi · 8,870 people · home $290,100
Groton, CT
6.0 mi · 38,411 people · home $340,100

Waterford questions

Is Waterford, Connecticut a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waterford scores better for retirees than 42% of Connecticut towns and quieter than 64%. 22.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.0).

How much does a house cost in Waterford?

The median owner-occupied home in Waterford is valued at $355,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $104,820, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,651 a month.

What is the weather like in Waterford?

July highs average 79.8°F and January lows 23.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.3 inches of precipitation a year and 24.5 inches of snow.

Does Waterford get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 16, 2002. The typical Connecticut town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Waterford's Census boundary (GEOID 0918080280). Comparisons use the median of Connecticut towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.